The Four Drivers of Redesign
The Cross State High School Redesign Collaborative is built around a hopeful, positive, future-orientated framework to redesign high schools for the 21st Century. We organize the evidence base into four key drivers of student outcomes that schools can directly influence and impact.
What is The CSHSC?
This two-minute video describes the Cross State High School Redesign Collaborative’s goals for high school redesign.
About CSHSC
The Cross State High School Redesign Collaborative (CSHSC) was established in 2017 and is a joint effort of six participating states, Ohio, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, supported by the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Education, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and Civic Enterprises.
The goal is to use the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to enable high schools with low graduation rates in under-served communities to reinvent themselves and become institutions that propel adolescents to adult success in their communities in the 21st century.
The participating states and partners are co-developing an evidence-based high school redesign process with supportive tools and practices. Learn more.
Getting Started
XQ Super School Redesign Resources
The XQ Super School Project offers a wide-variety of valuable multi-media resources to help redesign teams through the challenges and rewards of redesign.
XQ Knowledge Modules
A mix of cutting-edge academic research and inspiration to help anyone think boldly about both the possibilities and the realities of rethinking high school. Read more.
XQ Expert Series
A series of conversations with transformational leaders in education. Each module contains inspiring stories, examples, and lessons learned from across the country. Read more.
High School Redesign Workbook
Conduct Needs Assessments
Needs assessments help schools identify current areas of challenge and where evidence-based redesign improvement strategies can be best be applied. Learn more. . .
Inviting Community Input
Community Input from students, parents, educators, redesign partners, and community members is a vital component to high school design. Engaging community participation in redesign helps revitalize the high school community. Learn more.
The New ABCs
The new ABCs are an expansion of the traditional Attendance, Behavior, and Course Performance ABCs for developing our capacities for Agency, Belonging, and Connectedness to nurture a culture of joy in our school communities. Learn More
Upcoming Events
New Podcast Series!
Designing Education
A podcast series hosted by Robert Balfanz, director of the Everyone Graduates Center. Conversations with leaders in education from around the country on bold new ideas and research-based strategies for redesigning American education to more effectively engage all students and equip them for the challenges of today’s workplace and world. Learn more.
Click here for CSHSC Events Calendar
Click here for a listing of all past CSHSC Events
Why Redesign?
Now more than ever before it’s clear that the current educational system was not designed to provide pathways to happiness and success in life for ALL of our young people.
High school redesign affords educators the opportunity to co-create a school community where all want to be—one which brings joy to students and adults alike.

The New ABCs
Developing our capacities for agency, belonging, and connectedness nurture a culture of joy in our school communities. Learn More

Relationships: the Superpower of Redesign
CSHSC’s goal is to assist schools high schools in high-needs communities to reinvent themselves and become institutions that propel adolescents towards adult success in their communities.
Building and fostering postivie relationships inside and outside the school are vital to successful implementation of the Four Key Drivers.
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Shifting MindsetsBuilding relationships often means shifting existing mindsets. |
What the Evidence SaysUse evidence-based research and approaches to build positive relationships. |
CSHSC COVID19 RESOURCES
Schools Start Here Series: Guides for ESSER Spending, Scheduling, and Staffing
The Schools Start Here series was developed by ERS and dives into the resource side of ESSER strategy and planning. These guides offer a blueprint for how to organize resources as part of a sustainable ESSER investment strategy — beginning with practical, “Do Now” starting points for what the 2021-22 school year could look like. Learn more.
When COVID-19 began in 2020, CSHSC began offering resources to help educators cope with the continuing challenges of providing learning & support to students, families, teachers, staff during the pandemic, and the unique challeges associated with reopening schools for 2021. Learn more.
Our virtual forums focuses on helping educators continue to keep focused on their redesign efforts. View recorded forums.